These are the Honorable Mentions that will appear in print at the back of The Best Horror of the Year volume five. Congratulations. I also have a (very) long list that I will eventually post online only.

From Book Slut/ Teenage Horror September column by Colleen Mondorhttp://tinyurl.com/9o3asahOlder teens should also check out The Best Horror of the Year Volume Four, edited by Ellen Datlow. It includes a host of stories by the likes of Stephen King (although I think his story is one of the weakest), Margo Lanagan, Peter Straub, A.C. Wise (who tells us what happened to the "final girl" in a particularly frightful horror movie), and Simon Bestwick (consider this the antithesis to Ray Bradbury's "The Foghorn"). Datlow's anthologies continue to be standouts and are always a safe bet for frightful reads of epic proportions.

I emailed in my summary of the year in horror 2010 about an hour ago. I have a couple of people vetting it in case I missed something major but I'm pretty happy with it. Adieu 2010, wilkommen 2011.

I'm now going over the copy edit of Blood and Other Cravings and contacting contributors when I need to. Due back to my editor Tuesday so I have to get it out Monday.

And I've got to do my 1099s (only 12 thank the gods) and get them mailed out by Friday...so no lingering here.

But I feel this great weight off me for now. Sorry I've been so boring lately. I have more photos to load (my trip to Florida and my trip to the Museum of Natural History this past Sunday and perhaps a photo of my Hugo award and maybe I'll even take new cat photos).

I've been away from my own blog/facebook account and haven't looked at anyone else's for the past few days as I tried to complete The Best Horror of the Year Volume Three before leaving for Florida this morning. Unfortunately, although I've chosen almost 106,000 words (and have 34,000 to go) I couldn't finish all my reading and so have brought down a LOT of it with me. My deadline --to hand in the finished ms-- has been extended to the weekend after I get home so I can finish writing up my summary.

I hate missing deadlines --the only deadlines I ever have missed and continue to miss are for YBFH and Best Horror. Each year there is more and more horror fiction to read--which of course means I have more to choose from and have more new writers and publications to recommend toreaders. But it of course also means that if I want to check out everything out there that can be considered dark fiction it takes more time and focus on my part.

So here I am with my family --I had no idea what I'd do while down here--now I know. I slog on.

I gather that at least one writer whose story I've chosen has already announced it on FB --I'd rather just be able to announce the entire TOC once I'm done, but hey, I'm not going to come after you if you happen to mention it around:-).

And I promise to catch up on lj and fb so I know what everyone else is up to.

Here's a new review of The Best Horror of the Year, volume 1 on the blog Thinking About Books and the blogger catches an error in my summary, wherein I say: The authors reside in the United States, Canada, Australia, Great Britain, Wales, and Thailand. --pointing out that Wales is part of Great Britain.

I've been meaning to do this here as the Night Shade Message board, where I originally posted them, is not active....I'll see if I can do it in several sections...then if that works, I'll post the Best Horror of the Year volume 2.

YES. It's done done done. And I'm very relieved. I handed in everything but the summary before I left for Florida Saturday afternoon and then cranked out the rest of the summary (and edited it) and emailed it to Ross at Night Shade when I finished it at 2a.m.

I didn't have time to post the TOC before Ross got to it so I know it's all over the web but...here it is anyway. As usual in the past few years, there were many more stories that I'd have loved to have taken, but didn't have room.

I think this came in as a google alert while I was in San Jose so I forgot to post it. It's a very nice review of Best Horror of the Year, volume one from Innsmouth Free Press.Thanks Adam, for reminding me).

Although I'm still reading for Volume One, it's already time to start reading for Volume Two, so:

Call for Submissions

I am editing the new anthology series Best Horror of the Year (Night Shade Books) and am currently reading for the second volume, which will include all material published in 2009.

I am looking for stories from all branches of horror: from the traditional-supernatural to the borderline, including high-tech sf horror, supernatural stories, psychological horror, dark thrillers, or anything else that might qualify. If in doubt, send it. This is a reprint anthology so I am only reading material published in or about to be published in 2009. Submission deadline for stories is December 15th 2009. Anything sent after this deadline will reach me too late. If a magazine, anthology, or collection you’re in or you edit is coming out by December 31st, you can send me galleys or manuscripts so that I can judge the stories in time. No email submissions. I strongly suggest that authors check with their publishers that they are sending review copies to me as I don’t have time or energy to nag publishers to get me material. I request it once (maybe twice) and that’s it.

There will be a summation of "the year in horror" in the front of the volume. This will include novels, nonfiction, art books, and "odds and ends"-- material that doesn't fit elsewhere but that I feel might interest the horror reader. But I must be aware of this material in order to mention it. The deadline for this section is January 15th, 2010.Ellen DatlowBest Horror of the Year Volume TwoPMB 391511 Avenue of the AmericasNew York, NY 10011-8436

****I do not want to receive manuscripts from authors of stories from venues that it’s likely I already receive (like Interzone, The Third Alternative, Cemetery Dance, Subterranean, Postscripts, Weird Tales, F&SF, etc) or from anthologies and collections, unless I don't have or can’t get that anthology or collection. Please contact your publisher and ask him/her to send me the magazine or book.

Please do not send a SASE. If I choose a story you will be informed. If you want to confirm that I‘ve received something, enclose a self-addressed-stamped postcard and I will let you know the date it arrived. For stories that appear on the web, please send me (or have the publisher send me) print-outs of your story.thanks